FAQs for Registration Fees

Q. How much is the registration fee?

There is a one-time $95administrative fee for the allocation of a Registrant code, for which you can pay with a major credit card. Once you have this Registrant code there are no additional costs involved with assigning individual numbers, since this is something you administer. One Registrant code will allow you to assign up to 100,000 ISRCs per year and this Registrant code is yours for life.

Q. Is this a recurring fee?

No. This is a one-time fee to cover the costs of processing your request.

Q. Why is there a fee?

RIAA for many years administered the ISRC system in the US as a complimentary service to the whole music community, including thousands of small labels and independent artists, and it has absorbed all of the operating costs. Due to increasing demand for ISRC Registrant Codes and the current economic climate, we need to make a nominal charge to contribute towards these costs so we can continue offering a good service.

The application fee helps to cover the costs of administering and supporting the ISRC system in the US. The fee is substantially less than the costs of identifiers for other media and will form a very small part of the total costs of creating a record. We aim to keep the US ISRC Registrant Code as affordable and accessible as possible.

Q. Where else can I go for ISRCs?

A comprehensive list of approved ISRC Managers is available here. Approved ISRC Managers can provide individual ISRCs for artists or labels who do not wish to manage their own ISRC assignment. ISRCs are issued as a part of the recording owners' business arrangement with an ISRC Manager and are provided on a song-by-song basis.

If you have any questions about the legitimacy of an entity that is offering to provide ISRCs, you may contact us at isrc@riaa.com to determine whether they have been approved.

Q. Aren't you asking small labels and independent artists to pay a disproportionate amount?

We aim to keep the US ISRC Registrant Code as affordable and accessible as possible, and we feel that the $95 fee for a Rights Owner is in line with expected start-up or registration fees of other industry services in the United States. Considering your Registrant Code is yours for life, this is much smaller than other fees that are paid by small businesses.

Q. What do I get for my money?

The Registrant Code you receive will allow you to assign up to 100,000 ISRCs per year for recordings that you own. Even for the largest label this is plenty. The Registrant Code will stay with you for life, and the ISRCs you assign will work in any territory of distribution.

The charge is truly a one-time fee, and compared with the costs of other media identifiers, it is a great value at the prices detailed above. If you were to assign the full 100,000 ISRCs per year, the cost of an individual ISRC is less than 1 cent per ISRC.

If you make one album a year for five years, that still works out at only about a dollar a track. We think that is a good value.

Q. Can I get a refund?

Once a Registrant Code has been allocated, it is not possible to withdraw it or make a refund of the fee. Please be sure you understand the ISRC system and that you intend to assign ISRCs before applying for a Registrant Code.